PRELIMINARY PROGRAM

INVITED SPEAKERS

René Forsberg – Propolar

René Forsberg is a professor at the National Space Institute, Technical University of Denmark. He has worked extensively with geodetic, satellite and airborne research for cryosphere monitoring, geodesy and mapping. He has lead numerous campaigns in Greenland, the Arctic Ocean, arctic Canada and Antarctica, with focus both on cryosphere research and polar geophysics. The Greenland work has focused on basic mapping and UNCLOS marine activities, and since the late 1990’s in climate change monitoring and satellite validation from aircraft campaigns, especially over the Arctic Ocean. Since 2009 he has initiated major Antarctic aero-geophysical campaign works, especially focused on covering the last unknown regions of Antarctica, done in close cooperation with Norwegian, UK, US and Argentinean scientists. He is currently chairman if the Danish national committee of SCAR, has led the ESA Greenland Ice Sheet Initiative for 12 years, and is presently chairman of the ESA Advisory Committee for Earth Observation.

Klemens Weisleitner – PEI

Dr. Klemens Weisleitner holds a PhD in Biology from the University of Innsbruck, Austria. He is an expert in microbial ecology and is currently affiliated with the Austrian Polar Research Institute, where he studies polar and alpine glaciers. His work spans a wide range of fields, including limnology, bioinformatics, microscopy, image analysis, and spectroscopy. Dr. Weisleitner has participated in four Antarctic expeditions and five Arctic expeditions for his scientific work. Beyond his scientific achievements, Dr. Weisleitner is also a professional photographer. Through his photography, he combines his love for nature, science, and expeditions, capturing the beauty and intricacies of the natural world. He uses art and photography to communicate science to the general public, with a particular focus on young people. He believes that these young minds will soon hold powerful political positions and therefore need to learn as much as possible about our natural world now.
Dr. Klemens Weisleitner is a science communicator with a strong presence in print media, TV, radio, and social media. He views ice not only as a scientific object but also admires its aesthetics, recognizing it as a vanishing treasure in the era of climate warming. He has co-produced various audio-visual projects and exhibitions. His collaborations include projects with Patagonia, the two-time Grammy-nominated musician Manu Delago (drummer for Björk), and the Natural History Museum in Vienna (Austria)

Ives Sherell – APECS

GENERAL INFORMATION